Board of Directors
Meet Our Board of Directors
The Peterborough Community Health Centre is always looking for passionate and dedicated individuals to join our team. If you are committed to making a positive impact on community health and wellbeing, we would love to hear from you.
Our Board Members
Dr. Dawn Lavell-Harvard, Ph.D., is a proud member of the Wiikwemkoong First Nation, on Manitoulin Island, the first Aboriginal Trudeau Scholar, and has worked to advance the rights of Aboriginal women as the President of the Ontario Native Women's Association since 2003. After serving as Vice-president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada for three years, Dawn was elected National President at the 41st Annual General Assembly, July 11, 2015 in Montreal, Quebec.
In October 2016, after fulfilling her promise to see the MMIWG Inquiry initiated, Dawn left her role as National Leader and took on the role of Director at the First Peoples House of Learning at Trent University.
Jonathan Bennett, C.Dir., provides sought-after executive coaching, trusted advice, and training to leaders, teams, and boards across North America. With experience in urban, rural, remote, and First Nations communities. He was the Founder and CEO of Laridae, a proud B Corp, which he grew into a leading management consulting and training firm. He sold the company in 2021. Before Laridae, he held C-Suite leadership roles at a large regional hospital, as well as education and social services organizations. An experienced director, he has served terms as Chair of the Board of Directors of Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) and Chair of the Kawartha Haliburton CAS. He was a board member and committee chair of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. He is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and earned a Chartered Director (C.Dir.) designation through McMaster University. He now serves on two privately-held, social-purpose corporate boards, Accerta Services Inc., and CashCo Financial.
Amarpreet Sikand is a Nurse Practitioner with the Peterborough Family Health Team. Originally from Punjab, India, she has deep roots in Peterborough, where she is raising her three wonderful children.
A dedicated collaborator, leader, and community builder, Amarpreet is passionate about enhancing the quality of life for vulnerable and marginalized communities.
With a strong belief in volunteerism, Amarpreet is always engaged in community initiatives. As a co-founder of Seva Food Bank, she has been a key advocate for food security in the Peel region, and with nearly 20 years of nursing experience, she has continuously supported individuals on their health and wellness journeys.
Throughout her career, Amarpreet has served on several boards, including the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) and Seva Food Bank. Her work is grounded in the social determinants of health framework, which has guided her through a decade in the community health centre sector. She is thrilled to bring her expertise and passion to the Peterborough Community Health Centre.
Kylie is an urban Anishinaabe kwe who grew up just north of Toronto in Kleinburg – traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee people. Dutch and Spanish through her mother, and Scottish, French and Ojibway through her father and grandfather who are members of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, situated on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. She now lives in Nogojiwanong (Peterborough, Ontario).
A very proud mother to her beautiful son, Zika’ige; she is a wife to an amazing husband and best friend, Beedahbin; a daughter, sister and an Auntie to two beautiful little ones – Casimir and Cali Abitong who live in Sagamok First Nation; and a proud community Auntie to many others!
Kylie’s career spans the postsecondary sector and provincial ministries where she has held increasingly senior leadership roles in indigenous policy. She is now co-owner and Corporate Indigenization Consultant with Indigenize.ca. Her work includes the facilitation of training, policy advising, educational workshops and guest speaking engagements. She is passionate about health and wellness of her community.
Nicole, a proud Anishinaabe from Curve Lake First Nation, brings extensive experience in Indigenous health and education. She graduated from Cambrian College as a Native Early Childhood Educator and Congenital Deafblind Specialist and has dedicated her career to supporting individuals and families. As the Manager of Home and Community Care for Curve Lake First Nation, she has honed her leadership and management skills, ensuring quality health services for the community.
She is passionate about fostering inclusive, culturally sensitive health practices that reflect the needs of community. As a proud mother of six and Nonna to one granddaughter, her personal and professional experiences deeply inform her commitment to serving diverse communities. Her work, rooted in advocating for the
well-being of Indigenous Peoples, is driven by a strong sense of responsibility to enhance healthcare access and quality for all. Through her role on the board, she aims to contribute her skills and insights towards ensuring that the Peterborough Community Health Centre continues to be a place where the values and voices of Indigenous communities are upheld.
Dr. Jewell, MHA, MD, CCFP, is a local family physician who has had the opportunity to practice in many different models of primary care. She completed a Masters in Health Administration at Dalhousie University, medical school at the University of Toronto, and residency at McMaster University. She now practices with the Greater Peterborough Family Health Organization providing comprehensive primary care. Prior to moving to Peterborough she lived in Labrador, and she continues to serve as the remote physician for a fly-in Indigenous community there.
She is Faculty with Queen’s University and a preceptor for the local Family Medicine residency program. Laura loves exploring Nogajiwanong with her family, and is excited to assist the CHC in improving the wellness of her community.
With over fifteen years of progressive leadership experience in fundraising, Katie has held key roles at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation, and Lakefield College School, and now serves as the Executive Director of Advancement and External Relations at Fleming College.
Throughout her career, Katie has discovered a passion for building healthy, productive teams and mobilizing individuals toward meaningful, values-driven causes. Katie is deeply committed to the transformative role philanthropy and volunteerism play in strengthening our community organizations, institutions, and society as a whole. As a fundraiser, Katie has a track record of meeting and exceeding ambitious goals and for crafting innovative engagement models that nurture vibrant and supportive communities. Katie is a graduate of Fleming College and holds executive certificates in Change Management from Cornell University and Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Autumn Watson is a Michi Saagig Anishinaabe-Kwe from Curve Lake First Nation and is currently a valued member of the senior management team at the Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle (IDHC).
Autumn’s journey began with land-based teachings from her family and community. She attended Carleton University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts, High Honours in Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Autumn put her academic learning into practice directly on the frontlines when employed as a project manager, researcher and policy advisor in various national, regional and community-based Indigenous organizations. In addition to engaging Indigenous Peoples in the development, delivery and evaluation of health policies and programs, Autumn has worked as an educator promoting the importance of land-based teachings and wholistic health programming.
Angeni is a dynamic urban Indigenous Anishinaabe person with a lifelong commitment to education, community support, and creative storytelling. Their grandfather comes from Pikwakanagan Algonquin First Nation, and they have lived the majority of their life in Simcoe County and later Nogojiwanong. Their career began at the First Peoples House of Learning at Trent University, where they honed her understanding of culturally affirming student support and Indigenous pedagogies. Over three formative years, this experience laid the groundwork for their subsequent work as an Indigenous Graduation Coach with the Durham Catholic District School Board—a role in which they continues to inspire and empower Indigenous youth.
Beyond their contributions in education, Angeni has been an active and compassionate advocate within their community. For two years, they supported the Nogojiwanong Two-Spirit Circles and remains dedicated to uplifting 2SLGBTQ+ and Indigenous community members. Their engagement in these spaces underlines their commitment to creating inclusive environments that honor every voice and identity.
A passionate storyteller and historian at heart, Angeni frequently explores local history, uncovering the hidden narratives that shape communities. This deep-seated love for storytelling is not only a personal pursuit but also fuels their professional passion for amplifying Indigenous voices. Alongside their literary and oral storytelling, they have pursued artistic expression through poetry, music, and various physical art forms—and is now eager to expand their expertise in the realm of digital storytelling and mixed media.
Living with chronic illness and disability, Angeni brings a uniquely empathetic perspective to their work. They are an ardent advocate for the health and wellness of local community members, striving to ensure that those with chronic conditions receive the care they need and deserve. Their multifaceted approach—integrating education, community advocacy, artistic expression, and health awareness—exemplifies their unwavering commitment to nurturing, empowering, and celebrating the richness of Indigenous culture and lived experience.
Sierra Punchard is a BScN student at Trent University with Kanyen'kehá:ka and settler ancestry. She has a background in emergency response and is an active member of her community. Sierra is committed to advancing relational, equitable, and inclusive healthcare, bringing both frontline experience and a strong community focus to her role on the board.
She has led several community initiatives in her hometown, shaping her understanding of holistic health and community wellness. Sierra currently serves as President of the Trent Fleming Nursing Students Association and as the Indigenous Student Officer for the Nursing Students of Ontario, a division of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario.
A dedicated advocate for healthcare education reform, she represents students on the Trent Fleming School of Nursing's Curriculum Committee. Her broader contributions include consulting for the youth delegate to the World Health Assembly, serving as a student reviewer for Elsevier with a focus on advancing AEDI (Accessibility, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) principles, and acting as an external reviewer for the RNAO Best Practice Guidelines, which help shape healthcare policy across Ontario.
Sierra’s experience in frontline care, advocacy, leadership, and community engagement will support her contributions to the Peterborough Community Health Centre Board of Directors, where she is committed to helping advance equitable, community-driven healthcare.
The Board of Directors ensures that the Peterborough Community Health Centre operates with integrity, transparency, and accountability. We are committed to upholding our core values of equity, dedicated focus on Indigenous health, inclusivity, empowerment and collaboration.
Join Our Board
We are always looking for passionate and dedicated individuals to join our Board of Directors. To learn more about this opportunity, click here. If you are interested in making a positive impact on community health, please contact us at info@ptbochc.ca for more information.